The present invention relates to door latches for ovens and, more particularly, to automatic safety latches for self-cleaning ovens.
Many ovens today have a self-cleaning feature allowing for the complete combustion of organic deposits on the inner walls of the oven by utilizing temperatures well above the normal range for cooking.
The use of these high temperatures has made it essential to maintain the oven door latch in a locked condition when the temperature is above a preset value. Use of automatic locking mechanisms protects the user by preventing accidental or inadvertent opening of the oven door while the temperature is very high.
In some prior art devices, an external handle is provided on the oven and is movable to lock the door in a latched condition. A separate locking mechanism associated with the latching mechanism is desirably employed to prevent operation of the handle. The locking means employed in the prior art is usually a rotary thermal locking member driven by a bimetallic coil, which, upon thermal expansion, causes rotary motion of the locking member which acts to prevent operation of the handle to open the oven door.
Several drawbacks exist with this type of locking assembly. The handle presents an extra manipulation, and in some embodiments using a bimetallic coil, the locking mechanism does not act directly upon the latching element. Other prior art devices utilize a number of interconnected links and locking members, which increase cost and require more complex mechanisms.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel oven safety door latch which is automatic and simple in operation.
It is also an object to provide such an oven safety door latch in which the latch arms provide a positive lock for the door through a simple mechanical action.
Another object is to provide such an oven safety door latch in which there are relatively few movable parts, which may be fabricated readily and relatively economically and readily assembled to provide reliability in operation.